Sports Fan Mail

Hochman: Why do we always listen to professional athletes' opinions?

Roger Staubach, Navy quarterback, posing with the Heisman trophy in New York, prior to receiving the award formally at a luncheon on Dec. 11, 1963. (Jacob Harris, Associated Press file)

It's funny what you remember and don't remember from college. Take my buddy who went to Tulane — he can't remember 2003. As for me, I don't necessarily remember all the intricacies of Biology 4 (though I recall regretting I didn't yell out that "Billy Madison" quote when the teacher yapped about chlorophyll).

But I do remember Fred Vultee. He taught copy editing at the Missouri School of Journalism, and to this day I recall his lesson about cautiously quoting athletes about issues out of their realm.

"Our job is to ask — how do they know what they know," he'd say.

We're failing you, Fred! In a soundbite-driven, 140-character world, suddenly if any athlete says anything about anything, it's a thing, it's a tweet, it's a headline, it's suddenly part of the daily discourse.

This struck me today as I saw a top headline on ESPN.com: " Staubach: I'd draft Manziel with No. 1 pick." I mean, yeah, Roger Staubach was a star quarterback 40 years ago, but why is this news? Why is his opinion about the Houston Texans (not even his old Dallas Cowboys) suddenly important and relevant? He's not a GM or scout; he's just an old guy. Sure, yeah, you can argue — hey Hoch, at least he knows the quarterback position. But where's the context of his opinion?

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So I called up Fred. He's now an associate professor at Wayne State University, and his Twitter biography says, "Former copy editor, now teaching, studying and complaining about the craft of journalism. Mostly harmless."

Like the old days in class, he reminded me of accountability.

"Journalist first, and then the public after that, are kind of failing to ask — how do you know what you know?" he said. "It's kind of a bad habit we've developed in the American press — opinions are important just because important people have them. ... People are entitled to their opinions, and the first amendment is all about that, but people don't always stop and think — why should I listen to this person? Is it because I've seen them before? Or because it's going to help me make a good democratic decision."

Yet, we soak it up. From Charles Barkley to Dennis Rodman, their takes on things non-basketball are devoured and debated. Boomer Esiason recently ranted about childbirth and paternity leave. After Osama bin Laden was killed, some idiot football player Rashard Mendenhall tweeted Sept. 11 conspiracy theories. Whether it's TMZ or even the esteemed ESPN, we're too infatuated with athletes' opinions. If they're not going to stay in their lane, at least we should take a step back.

But, please let me know if Rollie Fingers has any opinions on the Rockies' bullpen.